The LightSail satellite, a three-unit CubeSat which measures 30 cm by 10 cm by 10cm, was put into orbit on May 20 after hitching a ride aboard the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket that lauched one of the U.S. Air Force’s secretive X-37B robotic spaceplanes.

The satellite is owned and operated by The Planetary Society, a non-profit space exploration advocacy group which has funded the mission through member donations and a crowd-funded campaign on Kickstarter.